#Life@Bounty: Innovation Summit 2023

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A few months back, I seized the spotlight at the Annual Bounty Innovation Summit, where a whirlwind of creative ideas from different divisions of Bounty Plus, Inc. filled the air.

Projects took center stage, neatly falling into three riveting categories: technology, operations, and sustainability.

My brainchild, "Biological Scavengers of Feathers", proudly found its home in the sustainability realm. Picture this: using feathers from a dressing plant as a growth substrate for the mighty Black Soldier Fly Larvae.

It was a nerve-cracking time since I was the first one to present in the category of Sustainability.

During my project presentation

This marked my second dance at this event. The previous year saw me clinching the Innovation Silver Award in the Operations Category for the groundbreaking "SaleRATus: An Alternative Rat Bait." Alas, this year didn't land me in the finalist circle, but presenting and sharing my passion for slashing solid waste, especially in the organic realm, left me feeling grateful.

Selfie time before the program proper starts.

The event was held at Oasis Hotel in Clark Pampanga on August 08-09, 2023.

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Black Soldier Fly: The Beneficial Insect

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As I have mentioned in my previous post about Black Soldier Fly, these tiny flyiing creatures are considered beneficial rather than pests. 

Here are some reasons that will answer the question, "How are the Black Soldier Fly become beneficial?"

Each of the stages of the life cycle of the Black Soldier Fly has its benefits but during the larva stage has the most contribution not only in the reduction of organic wastes but in agriculture as well medicine.

Frass

Frass is the remians of insect breeding, left-over food, feces and cuticles from metamorphosis of the larva. These hase been considered as fertilizer and a good source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for plants.

Larva Meal

Before turning into a new adult, the larva can be harvested, dried and ground or served as feeding materials to animals. It contains high percentage of protein and crude fat. Because of these high levels of nutrients, it can be used as a substitute for fishmeal and soybean meal as the main source of protein in animal feeds.

However, depending on the subtrate or food given to the larvae, the nutritional values of the larva meal can be affected.

Larva Oil

The protein content of the larva meal can still increase by concentrating the meal. Removal of other nutrients like the high amounts of oil is one way to make larva meal protein concentrate.

The extracted oil can still be used in animal feeds as larva oil. The fatty acid profile of the larva oil is comparable to palm and coconut oil.

Anti-Microbial Peptides

Many will wonder how does the larva thrive in an environment full of decaying organic matters with tons of bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms and how they manage to digest these organic matters made of protein, fats and oils, and other compounds such as carbohydrates and strach.

The intestinal gut of the Black Soldier Fly Larva contains different enzymes that is used to digest and breakdown complex nutrients into a simple compounds. For example, the protease which can breakdown proteins into peptide andn amino acids. The lipase which is used to degrade oils into simple fatty acids. Starch and cabohydrates will turn into simple sugars with the help of amylase enzyme. 

With regards to the microorganisms, the intestinal gut of the larva contains antimicrobial peptides that are capable of killing different pathogens including E.coli and Salmonella.

Chitosan or Chitin

As the larvae turn into adults, the shell from the pupa stage can be a good source of chitin of chitosan. These compounds are sugar complexes commondly found in the shell or skeleton of crustaceans like shrimps and crabs.

Another question that may be raised is how about the adults, are they vectors of pathogens or harmful microorganisms like the common house flies?

The answer is "NO". An adult fly does not have any mouthparts nor digestive organs. They rely their short life span (about 4-5 days) in water and the stored fats during their larva stage. Because of these, the adult Black Soldier Fly is not associated with disease transmission.

Given the different advantages that we can get from the Balck Soldier Fly, it is truly that these insects are considered beneficial.

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Black Soldier Fly: An Ally in Organic Waste Reduction

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Organic waste generation is a major concern in the war on waste movement. These organic wastes are produced from households or industrial activities. The two common methods for reducing these wastes are incineration or sanitary landfills. However, these methods produce greenhouse gases that have a significant impact on climate change.

Fortunately, the war on waste advocacy has found an ally in the Black Soldier Fly, which is considered a biological scavenger of organic waste. The Black Soldier Fly has the ability to break down organic waste during its larval stage. These small flying organisms are actually considered beneficial rather than pests.

The common question that often arises is, "How does the Black Soldier Fly become beneficial when it's similar to houseflies?"

In reality, the BSF is quite distinct from houseflies. They are not associated with disease or pathogen transmission. Adult BSFs do not feed during their very short lifespan. They lack mouthparts, stingers, or digestive organs and rely only on water and stored fats during their larval stage.

Several facilities are already growing and propagating Black Soldier Flies in the Philippines and other parts of the world due to their various benefits.

How do Black Soldier Flies grow? This is the first thing we should understand if we want to propagate these beneficial insects.

The Life Cycle of Black Soldier Fly

Similar to other insects, the Black Soldier Fly undergoes complete metamorphosis from eggs to adults.

A single adult fly can lay up to 500-900 eggs during its very short lifespan, which will hatch in 4-5 days.

The larval stage follows, consisting of 5 stages called instars. During these stages, the larvae are voracious eaters that tend to increase their feeding after the 3rd instar. The larval stage usually lasts from 13 to 18 days.

Next in the life cycle of the Black Soldier Fly is the 6th instar or the pre-pupa stage. During this stage, the larvae cease eating, move away from food, and seek out dark places. Their skin undergoes melanization, resulting in a darker cuticle. The pre-pupa stage takes 7-10 days.

After finding the right spot, the larva hibernates as it enters the pupa stage, which lasts for at least 8 days before a new adult emerges.

Besides consuming organic waste and reducing the amount of rubbish going to sanitary landfills, there are more benefits that we can derive from the Black Soldier Fly, including fertilizer, protein sources, medicinal properties, and antibacterial benefits. I will create a separate post about this.

That's what I have to share for now. If you happen to spot a Black Soldier Fly, remember that they are beneficial and not pests.

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